Taro Aso: Japan minister U-turns on birth-rate gaffe

Taro Aso, 78, said elderly people were being unfairly linked to Japan’s stagnating economy and worries about health costs.

“There are lots of weird people who say the elderly are at fault, but that’s incorrect,” he was quoted as saying.

“Rather, those who aren’t giving birth to children are the problem.

“The ageing population combined with the diminishing number of children is the grave issue.”

Mr Aso was speaking at a constituency meeting in Fukuoka, south-west Japan.

On Monday he retracted his remarks after criticism from opposition MPs, who said they could hurt couples who were unable to have children.

“I’d like to withdraw my comment and will be careful with my words in the days ahead,” the minister said.

He told reporters his words had been taken out of context.

According to Japan’s Asahi Shimbun newspaper, Mr Aso also called the rise in life expectancy “marvellous” on Sunday, and said Japan needs a social security system that supports people of all generations.

The minister is not the first Japanese lawmaker to be accused of sexism in recent years.